FREEHOLD - A Trenton man has been charged with selling heroin that killed a Howell man about a year ago.

A Monmouth County grand jury handed up an indictment charging John R. Varra, 50, of Trenton with distributing heroin to the 31-year-old victim and also causing his drug-induced death, Monmouth county Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.

The victim, identified in the indictment only by the initials V.B., died May 3, 2017, as a result of “acute heroin toxicity," according to a news release issued by prosecutor’s spokesman Chris Swendeman.

The victim’s wife found him unresponsive in their home at 12:25 a.m. that day, according to the news release.

Police and medical personnel responded to the woman’s 911 call for help and tried to revive the man, but their efforts, which included administering the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, were unsuccessful, the news release said. The victim was pronounced dead at 1:07 a.m.

Upon the man’s death, Howell detectives launched an investigation to determine who distributed the fatal dose of heroin to him. They learned Varra may have been responsible and arrested him in Howell later the same day, seizing a quantity of heroin from his vehicle, the news release said.

If convicted of causing the man’s drug-induced death, Varra would face a minimum of 10 years in prison with no chance for release on parole, and a maximum of 20 years in prison with a requirement that he serve 85 percent of the term before he could be considered for release on parole.

Varra would face five to 10 years in prison if convicted of the distribution charge, as well as if convicted of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute it, which are additional charges contained in the indictment.

“We all realize that the opioid epidemic is a monumental challenge within our communities," Gramiccioni said. Many thanks to the Howell Township Police Department for vigorously investigating this overdose death, leading to the identification of the dealer and an indictment in connection with this tragic death."